


Countdown

by allmylovesatonce



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: M/M, mentions of June and Nora
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:41:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28455513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allmylovesatonce/pseuds/allmylovesatonce
Summary: New Year's Eve 2022 finds Alex and Henry replaying some of the best moments of their year and getting up to their usual shenanigans, with maybe a surprise or two in store.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Comments: 11
Kudos: 107





	Countdown

**Author's Note:**

  * For [floatingaway4](https://archiveofourown.org/users/floatingaway4/gifts).



> This is a gift for the lovely floatingaway4 who blesses us with wonderful stories and is my favorite fandom friend! She's the best to share fics with and is just a generally great person to talk to! This is my return gift after she gifted me with a beautiful story at Christmas. It's called "Searching" and you all should go read it! (I don't know how to link things in the notes) Thanks to rooster_crow for reading and making sure it was ready for people's eyes! 
> 
> Happy New Year!!

The bass is pounding, the dance floor is crowded, and Alex stands there watching it, Henry at his side. Both of them have a glass of champagne in hand, though Alex is ready to switch to something stronger. He sees Bea out on the dance floor, dancing eagerly with Nora, the two of them laughing over something. June is talking to some intern, being an actually good hostess. And Pez is...well he’s here. Alex can’t quite spot where he is. 

But Alex and Henry are standing at the bar, surveying the organized chaos that is the White House Trio’s 7th Young America New Year’s Eve Gala. Or the Legendary Balls-Out Bananas White House Trio New Year’s Eve Party. Alex calls it one name, Henry calls it by the other. Either way, they’re there together, as they thankfully have been for the last three years — four, if you count the year that they were just “friends.” Alex says four, Henry says three. 

Alex turns to Henry and clinks his glass against his. “Okay, favorite part of 2022?” he asks. Henry smiles, a thoughtful look in his eye. It became a tradition in 2020 when Alex jokingly asked Henry what his favorite part of the year had been. Henry had rolled his eyes at first, but then had genuinely thought about it. 

In 2020, Henry’s favorite part of the year was the night they spent after the election. Alex’s favorite part was their night in Los Angeles. 

In 2021, Henry’s favorite part of the year was tied between moving in together and when Alex had surprised him for his birthday. Alex’s favorite part was their trip to Lake Como. 

Now, in 2022, Alex is curious what Henry’s going to say. As he thinks over his answer, Henry takes a sip of his champagne, his eyes gliding over Alex. “Okay, I think I know,” he says. Alex nods eagerly as he takes a sip from his own glass. “The fact that this year was the first  _ full  _ year we’ve lived together.” 

Alex groans and shakes his head. “Nope. Come on. There’s nothing  _ specific _ that you enjoyed about this year?” He gasps dramatically, laying a hand over his heart. “Henry, am I boring you? 

Henry flashes him a deadpan expression. “Yep. I’m plotting my escape as we speak.” 

“Joke’s on you,” Alex says, “because I’m never letting you go.” There’s a definite sparkle in Henry’s eye as he fights a smile at Alex’s statement. “So, why don’t you come up with a real moment?” 

He sets his glass down on the bar next to them and pulls Alex in close. “What if I’m genuinely happy that we’ve spent an entire year living together?” 

“Then I’ll delicately remind you that we’ve actually spent closer to a year  _ and a half  _ living together,” Alex retorts, setting his own glass down. “Besides, you used moving in together last year. Give me an actual moment.” 

Henry looks thoughtful again. With a little nod to himself, he seems ready to try again. “Okay, let’s do this again. The day we flew to London because we’d actually been invited to some big event for Gran. Because  _ both of us  _ had been invited. And the day before, we spent it quite lazily, eating falafel from the truck down the street and laying around in my rooms. Neither of us really had anything to do and we just spent the day together before the next day was chaos.” He smiles to himself at the memory. Alex can’t help but do the same. “That...that was my favorite, I think.” 

“That was a nice day.” 

“Mmhmm.” Henry pokes him in the side. “Your turn, love. Favorite moment of 2022?” 

Alex pretends like he has to think about it, but he knows. He hadn’t been able to sleep the night before, even with Henry next to him, even with everything already set for the party. Somehow sleep just eluded him. So he spent the night thinking of the best days he and Henry had throughout the year. There was never a rule that said their favorite moment had to be one of them  _ together,  _ but somehow, they always were. 

This year is no different. It had been a bit crazy, like any year, especially as deep as Alex has been getting into his next degree. He can’t really imagine what it would be like if he and Henry were still long distance while Alex was in law school. It would be a shit show. Thankfully, they live together, and it’s the closest thing to perfect Alex has felt in a long time. Probably ever. 

“Okay, so mine is the day I got the super expensive bottle of tequila from my dad,” Alex tells him. “And he sent it as an early birthday present because I was on spring break and you took some time off so we could just spend time together. I’d finished midterms and we didn’t have to go anywhere or do anything and we both got bombed on tequila shots and margaritas and I made all that food. And we had all that sex. That was a  _ great  _ time.” 

Henry laughs, picking up his glass as he shakes his head at Alex. “You’re not wrong. That was a great day. Though I don’t know if I can ever drink tequila again.” 

“God, you were so sick the next day,” Alex muses. Henry grimaces and nods. “But it still makes the list.” 

Raising his glass, Henry stretches it toward Alex and he follows suit. “To 2023. May it bring just as many good times…” 

“...and less of the bad times,” Alex finishes, as they always do. He clinks his glass against Henry’s for the second time. “To 2023.” 

Their glasses clink and they both take a sip. Setting his glass back down, Henry pulls Alex in for a long kiss. “Call me crazy,” he says, “but I think it may be our best year yet.” 

“That’s very optimistic of you since I am still very deep into law school, but here’s hoping.” He leans up and kisses Henry again. 

The party carries on around them, somehow allowing them their private little moment before all but demanding they join in again. They down their champagne and then a shot of something stronger before Alex is dragging Henry onto the dance floor to join their friends. 

His hands drift to Henry’s hips and pull him closer as they dance. Henry laughs and throws his arms around Alex’s neck. The difference between the first New Year’s Eve party in 2019 and now is astounding. Granted, Henry and Alex are so much closer and have been living together, but it always makes Alex pleased to see him loosen up and dance with glee. 

As the party carries on, they drift back and forth between the bar and the dance floor, talk with anyone who stops them, —because they are trying to be diplomatic — and party with their friends. On one trip to the bar, Alex notices Henry down a whiskey with a shaky hand. He’s about to bring it up when Henry kisses him and pulls him back out onto the dance floor. 

When midnight nears, Alex grabs them both a glass of champagne off a passing tray and they wait for the countdown. 

“Ten, nine, eight…” everyone chants. Alex glances over and sees a strange look on Henry’s face. It’s a mix of fondness and anticipation. He can’t help but wonder if it’s just the countdown that has him looking like this. 

“Three, two, one! Happy New Year!” 

Alex grins at Henry before being pulled into a fierce kiss. His arms wind around Henry’s back and hold him tightly as he kisses him back eagerly. “I love you,” he says in Henry’s ear as they pull apart.

Henry’s forehead rests against Alex’s for just a moment before he says back, “I love you too.” 

The party continues around them as the band sings “Auld Lang Syne.” Another odd look crosses Henry’s face as he drinks the rest of his champagne. 

He puts his mouth next to Alex’s ear and says, “Wait five minutes and then come find me.” Waggling his eyebrows as he pulls away, he nods to Alex and moves away from the dance floor. Instead of watching him go, Alex finishes his own glass of champagne. 

It’s a game they started playing in the last year and a half, a game they play coyly at events they’re both required to attend. More than anything, it’s a way of keeping things interesting. Sometimes, it’s nothing more than a game. Other times, they end up in a compromising position and have to take extra heed of staying hidden. 

While they’re at the White House tonight, Alex thinks they may end up in a compromising position. Based on the twinkle in Henry’s eye, the first room he checks when his five minutes are up is his own bedroom. Sadly, it’s empty. He tries The Queen’s Room as well, but Henry isn’t there. 

The next room he sprints to is the Red Room, for nostalgia’s sake. It’s empty as well. 

He tries the library next. Henry had been perusing it earlier that very trip. He’s not there either. 

Alex wanders back to the ballroom, alcohol making his brain a bit foggy. He can’t think of where Henry would be within the White House. Pez finds him standing by the bar, a confused look on his face. 

“What’s wrong with you?” 

“I can’t find Henry. He said to come find him and I checked most places I thought he’d go but I can’t find him.” 

Pez looks thoughtful for a moment. “Where did you check?” Alex is listing off all the places he’s checked as Bea approaches. “He’s trying to find Henry,” Pez explains. 

“You really haven’t found him? Where would he go on New Years?” 

Alex closes his eyes, smacking his head. “Oh my god,  _ of course! _ How could I be so dumb?” He rushes off without warning. 

Somehow, in the years of making new memories together, of being with each other consistently, the most obvious place Henry would be had fallen to the back of his mind, replaced by new meaningful moments. Now he feels bad for leaving him out in the cold for so long. If Henry is indeed where Alex thinks he is. 

When he gets to the windows overlooking the garden, sure enough, he spots Henry, waiting in the same place he had been 3 years ago. Alex races out to him, a grin on his face. “Found you!” 

Henry smiles before looking down at his watch. His next look is a bit unimpressed. “Took you long enough. Where else would I go on New Years?” 

“That was basically what your sister said. My bad. I checked my bedroom first,” he admits with a laugh. 

Pulling him in by the lapels of his coat, Henry kisses Alex slowly. “Guess we know what you had on your mind.” 

He flicks his eyes up and down Henry’s body, remembering the way they’d been dancing. “Can you blame me?” He wraps his arms around Henry and holds him close. Henry presses a kiss to his head. “Were you having a bad time at the party?” 

“Hmm?” 

“You had me come find you. We usually only do that at boring events.” 

“I was having a fine time.” He looks up at the tree above them and steps back from Alex. “This is where it all began.” 

“I recall,” Alex says with a grin. 

“I stood out here the last time, so sure that I’d never have anything as wonderful as the life we have.” Henry still has a fond look in his eyes, mixed with anticipation. “And yet, here we are. We’re publicly together. We no longer live in different countries, but the same house. We’re living our lives  _ together  _ and it’s so beautiful.” 

“You’re right. It really is.” Alex watches Henry as he sticks his hands in his pockets. He’s abnormally fidgety. 

“And now that we have this life,” Henry says, “I can’t imagine living any other way. Or being with anyone else.” This is not exactly the first time either of them have spoken like this. But it  _ is _ the first time that Henry gets down on one knee and pulls a ring box out of his pocket. He pops open the box and looks up at Alex, grinning as he sees his jaw dropped open and his eyes starting to water.

Alex quickly wipes his eyes. “Oh my god,” he whispers. 

Henry still looks a bit nervous, but his smile only grows. “Three years ago, out in this same snow covered garden, I never knew I was completely changing my life. Except it wasn’t really  _ me  _ that changed it. Alex, you made my life worth living again and I have yet to come up with the proper way to thank you for that, to thank you for making me happier than I ever thought I could be. My only hope is that as we spend our lives together, I can continue to show you all the ways that I love you and hopefully make your life just as bright as you’ve made mine.” 

He swallows thickly, looking down at the ring and back up at Alex. This is probably the quietest that Alex has ever been. Apparently proposals join orgasms in top ways to shut him up. He doesn’t want to miss a word of what Henry is saying, of this big important moment in his own life. Henry smiles at him, unshed tears in his eyes. “Alex Claremont-Diaz, will you marry me?” 

“Yes!” Alex yells, dropping to his knees in front of Henry. The two of them meet in the middle and kiss deeply. Alex is the first one to pull back, staring at Henry with all the love in his heart. “Oh my god, I love you so much.” 

Henry reaches out and lays a hand against Alex’s cheek. “I love you too.” He glances down at the ring in his hand and grins as he pulls it from the box and gently slides it on Alex’s finger. Alex stares at the new addition, shaking his head in awe. 

“Just so you know,” he says, “you’ve made my life just as bright as you said. God, I am so excited to marry you.” 

“I’m so excited to marry you too,” Henry says, his voice a bit thick. 

Slowly, they both lean in, kissing slower this time, savoring the precious moment between them. Alex holds Henry tight, hugging him close. It’s not until he fully feels where the snow has soaked through the knees of his pants that the two of them move to go back inside. 

Alex squeezes Henry’s hand in his before tucking his left hand in his pocket. There are too many people still inside that could get a picture of the ring on his finger. He hates having to think like this, but this is still too precious to share with others yet. 

Henry gathers the rest of the Super Six in a small room off the ballroom and Alex shows them the ring on his finger. After getting an appropriate level of congratulations and support, they tear away from the group and retreat to Alex’s room to celebrate the milestone all on their own. 

As he lays with Henry later, admiring his ring in the dim lamp light of his room, Alex echoes Henry’s sentiments from earlier. “This  _ is  _ going to be our best year yet.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to come chat with me on tumblr! I'm three-drink-amy!


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